Cristiano Ronaldo is the Portuguese forward who starred for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus before joining Saudi club Al-Nassr in 2023. Two trackers put a Cristiano Ronaldo net worth figure above $1 billion: Bloomberg estimated $1.4 billion in October 2025, and Forbes’ real-time tracker showed $1.2B on Oct. 27, 2026. Both are estimates; Ronaldo does not publish his finances.
Where it stands: Ronaldo is still playing at 41. Forbes counts 981 goals in his career as of October 2026, a record, and says he wants to hit 1,000 before retiring. In May 2026 Forbes named him the world’s highest-paid athlete again, after what it called a record year.
| Quick facts | Cristiano Ronaldo |
|---|---|
| Club | Al-Nassr (Saudi Arabia), since 2023 |
| Age | 41, per Forbes |
| Career goals | 981 as of October 2026, per Forbes |
| Forbes 2026 earnings | $300M, No. 1 athlete |
| Net worth estimates | Bloomberg: $1.4 billion (Oct. 2025); Forbes: $1.2B (Oct. 27, 2026) |
Who is Cristiano Ronaldo?
Ronaldo is a footballer who, in Forbes’ words, is “arguably the world’s most popular athlete,” a status Forbes ties to a combined following of nearly 1 billion on Instagram, Facebook and X. Sponsorship income from brands sits alongside his club salary in the earnings estimates below.
His club career ran through Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus before the Saudi move, according to Forbes.
How Cristiano Ronaldo became famous
Ronaldo’s fame was built in Europe’s biggest leagues. He played for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, and Forbes notes he was first named the world’s top-earning athlete a decade before its 2026 list. His goal tally, still climbing past 980, is the sporting record behind those paydays.
He has no plans to stop soon. Speaking at a Portuguese awards gala in October 2025, he said he still has “a passion for this,” Reuters reported.
How Ronaldo’s pay became a record
The jump in his earnings came with the move to Saudi Arabia. Reuters, in a report carried by Cyprus Mail, said the 2023 transfer from Manchester United to Al-Nassr made him the best-paid player in football history, paying 177 million pounds ($237.52 million) a year before bonuses. Reuters added that he reportedly received a 15% share in the club as well. That share has not been confirmed by the club in our sources, so treat it as reported.
In June 2025 he signed a new Al-Nassr contract reportedly worth more than $400 million, Reuters said. Forbes, for its part, says the club pays him more than $200 million a year.
These are contract values, which describe pay over time. They are a different thing from net worth, the value of what he owns today after debts and taxes.
Forbes’ highest-paid athlete rankings
Forbes ranks athletes by a year’s income from salary, prize money, sponsorships and appearance fees. Its 2026 list covered earnings from May 1, 2025, to May 1, 2026.
- 2026 list: No. 1, with earnings of $300M, according to his Forbes profile.
- Streak: the Al-Nassr salary helped keep him at No. 1 four years running, Forbes says.
- Career: by Forbes’ count he is the first athlete still playing to pass $2 billion in lifetime earnings from all sources, measured before taxes and agent fees.
Career earnings are the total money paid to him over two decades. Net worth can be well below that kind of total because taxes, fees and spending come out first, which is how a $2 billion earnings figure and a wealth estimate near $1 billion can both be accurate.
Sponsors and businesses
Ronaldo earns from brand partners as well as from football. Bloomberg’s analysis, as reported by Reuters, cited a Nike contract lasting ten years at nearly $18 million a year, plus deals with Armani, Castrol and other brands worth more than $175 million in total. His current Forbes profile lists sponsors including Nike, Herbalife, Lego Group and Binance.
He also lends his name to hotels. The Pestana Hotel Group’s CR7 Lifestyle Hotels are, in the company’s words, “enhanced by Cristiano Ronaldo’s signature style,” and the group says its Funchal hotel in Madeira was the first in its partnership with him. The line includes a hotel in New York’s Times Square. The terms of that partnership have not been published in our sources.
Cristiano Ronaldo net worth: Forbes vs Bloomberg
Both major trackers count him as a billionaire, but they publish different numbers on different dates.
| Tracker | Estimate and date |
|---|---|
| Bloomberg Billionaires Index | $1.4 billion, October 2025 |
| Forbes real-time | $1.2B, Oct. 27, 2026 |
Why they differ: each outlet builds its own estimate. According to Reuters, Bloomberg’s figure was built up from his documented income: salary of more than $550 million across 2002 to 2023, plus the Nike deal and other endorsements. Forbes’ figure is its own calculation and, as a real-time number, reflects changes since the prior trading day. The two were also published a year apart. Neither number is wrong simply because the other is different; they are separate estimates by separate teams.
Bloomberg’s October 2025 report made him football’s first billionaire, joining athletes such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. For his long-running rival, Reuters reported that Lionel Messi had earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary over his career; see our Lionel Messi profile, as well as Michael Jordan’s.
None of these figures is disclosed by Ronaldo himself, and each should be read with its source and date attached.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cristiano Ronaldo a billionaire?
Yes, according to both major wealth trackers. Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index valued him at an estimated $1.4 billion in October 2025, Reuters reported, and Forbes’ real-time tracker showed $1.2B on Oct. 27, 2026.
How much does Al-Nassr pay Ronaldo?
Forbes says Al-Nassr pays him more than $200 million annually. Reuters reported that his June 2025 contract renewal was reportedly worth more than $400 million; the club has not published the terms in our sources.
How much did Ronaldo earn in 2026?
Forbes estimated his earnings at $300M for its 2026 highest-paid athletes list, covering May 1, 2025 to May 1, 2026, which put him No. 1. That is income for one year, not net worth.
Who is richer, Ronaldo or Messi?
On salary, Bloomberg said Ronaldo earned more than $550 million from 2002 to 2023, while Messi had earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary over his career, per Reuters. Bloomberg named Ronaldo football’s first billionaire in October 2025.
How old is Cristiano Ronaldo?
Forbes lists his age as 41.
Sources
- Cristiano Ronaldo (profile, The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes) — Forbes, real-time figure as of October 27, 2026; profile updated October 17, 2026
- World’s Highest-Paid Athletes: 2026 Forbes List — Forbes, May 22, 2026
- Ronaldo becomes football’s first billionaire, says Bloomberg report — Reuters (via Cyprus Mail), October 8, 2025
- Pestana Hotel Group: Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotels — Pestana CR7, accessed October 27, 2026
Net worth figures are estimates published by the outlets named, on the dates shown. They are not disclosed by the people profiled, they move with markets and private valuations, and different publications reach different numbers. Net Worth Rankings is not affiliated with anyone profiled here.